Case studies marine pollution

We have collected several case studies on marine pollution. The studies are either by Belgian authers or on the Belgian part of the North Sea. The studies covers different trophic levels of the ecosystem.

You can find comprehensible sumaries of these cases studies in a list below, or by clicking on the different trophic components on the figure

A Marine Foodweb: Click on different components to go to specific case studies

Pollution and marine mammals

• Organochlorine pesticides in harbour porpoises
• Toxin analysis in beached sperm whales

Pollution and sea birds

• The relation between pollutants and disease in guillemots
• Possible causes for breading failure in common terns

Pollution and pelagic fishes

• Effects of xenoestogens in eels

Pollution and benthic fishes

• PFOS contamination in bib and plaice in the Western Scheldt
• Volatile organic compounds in North sea fish

Pollution and zoobenthos

• Heavy metal content of mussels in the Western Scheldt estuary
• Common starfish can act as a bioindicator for heavy metal pollution
• Heavy metals in various Belgian benthic invertebrates
• Effects of heavy metals on the sperm quality and the larvae survival of sea urchins
• Effects of copper-based antifouling paints on brine shrimp
• TBT and intersex in periwinkles
• Levels of PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in various benthic species in the Belgian North sea and the Western Scheldt estuary
• PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in Belgian shrimp

Pollution and scavangers

• Flame retardants organotin compounds and surfactants in opossum shrimps of the Scheldt estuary.
• Effects of endocrine disrupting compounds on embryonic development of opossum shrimps.

Pollution and zooplankton

Pollution and algae

• PCBs and organochlorine pesticides in Antarctic algae